Our View: Getting on the road to propserity

Thursday

May 22, 2014 at 6:30 PMMay 22, 2014 at 11:53 PM

“You can't get there from here” is an old expression typically associated more with downeast Maine than downtown Fall River. But in our downtown area, it sometimes feels like you can't easily get there from here when navigating the maze of one-way streets and roads. For the uninitiated, the city's often confusing traffic patterns — made worse by a series of detours associated with the Route 79 project — can create a navigational nightmare.

Herald News Editorial Board

“You can’t get there from here” is an old expression typically associated more with downeast Maine than downtown Fall River. But in our downtown area, it sometimes feels like you can’t easily get there from here when navigating the maze of one-way streets and roads. For the uninitiated, the city’s often confusing traffic patterns — made worse by a series of detours associated with the Route 79 project — can create a navigational nightmare.

Those who don’t know the area can become easily disoriented, creating a public safety issue if confused motorists end up traveling in the wrong direction. The one-ways also pose an economic disincentive for consumers. Businesses located on the one-way streets lose out on sales to potential customers traveling in the opposite direction.

Add the rough conditions of many city streets and sidewalks into the mix, and getting around Fall River can be a nightmare for those behind the wheel, on bikes and even on foot. After the rough winter, the city has been busy patching the many potholes that formed. While potholes come with the territory of living in New England, many poor road conditions are the result of utility work that is not properly patched in a timely manner after their work is done.

That’s why it’s good to see the City Council’s Committee on Public Works and Transportation getting down to business on converting three heavily-traveled one-way streets — North Main, Bedford and Durfee streets — to two-way traffic, along with its request for an ordinance that would require private utility companies to patch cuts and gouges they make in city roads in an appropriate and timely manner. City councilors hope to put a 90-day deadline on such work.

This measure would provide relief to motorists who sustain damage to their cars as a result of the poor road conditions, and the city, which can be on the hook for the resulting damage claims. While utility companies may complain that they already have a backlog on patching work, if these companies tear up a street, they also have a responsibility to properly repair it as quickly as possible.

When it comes to establishing traffic in both directions, city and regional engineers have been conducting traffic studies and conducting site visits. Although two-way traffic patterns could pose a loss of on-street parking on one side — particularly along North Main Street — the benefit would likely outweigh any loss of parking, which could also be mitigated through establishing more off-street public parking spaces in that area.

These are the types of issues that will likely be discussed when the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District holds a public meeting in June at the Fall River Public Library for the public and area businesses to weigh-in on the two-way proposal. By getting public input, the city can develop the best plan of action, while mitigating any potential trouble spots.

Both the proposed patching ordinance and the potential one-way street conversions seem like common sense ways to make Fall River a better place to live, work and visit. As the city works on efforts to bring in tourism and economic development, making the city easier to navigate represents an important step for residents and visitors alike.